Reading doesn’t have to be lofty to be worth the time

Barack Obama is a man of integrity and a beacon of hope regained and re-lost. However, when he shared his summer reading list on social media last week, my reaction was: “Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!” It’s quite a list. There are 10 pieces of literature on there, all guaranteed to encourage deep thoughts about race, class and gender. Barry – I call him Barry, because I bet he’d let me if I asked him – commented in a Facebook post: “I wanted to let you know about a few books I’ve been reading this summer, in case you’re looking for suggestions.”

Suggestions? The first suggestion I’d like is how I’m going to find the time to read 10 improving books of such stature that a former president of the United States is willing to recommend them to the masses of social media trolls who shriek abuse at him daily.

Perhaps my imposter syndrome is kicking in here, but I have no idea when I can stop running around after demanding children long enough to get into Colson Whitehead, Haruki Murakami or even Hilary Mantel.

I did, however, read the latest issue of Batman, in which the Dark Knight Detective teamed up with Green Arrow to battle the Riddler and several mindreading gorillas. This summer, I also enjoyed The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente, a novel in which a comic book artist is framed for murder during San Diego Comic-Con. It’s lots of fun and I recommend it with enthusiasm.

Barack Obama is, of course, highly educated and deeply respected. However, if he did read 10 books this summer (and I still don’t believe him), I suspect it’s not down to his intelligence – he probably just has a nice, comfy place to hide and mostly stays off social media.

I love reading. One of the greatest pleasures in our brief time on this earth is to escape it by diving into a book. I admit that, as a surface thinker with no patience, I prefer lighter literature, preferably with men kicking gaudily-dressed criminals in the face. But, whatever your preference, there’s nothing like getting lost in words.

Whatever you prefer, revel in it, even if it’s as far removed from believable reality as Barry’s suspicious list. Whatever it is, it’s better than reading Facebook.

If he did read 10 books this summer, I suspect it’s not down to intelligence